You Made My Heart Your Home
by Spademyheart
Summary: My version of Red and Liz on the run. Lizzington
1. Chapter 1

Red was quickly packing his things as he gently prodded Lizzie to do the same. "We need to hurry, our ride will be here momentarily."

Lizzie tried not to be short with him, it wasn't his fault they had to keep moving. She was the one who shot the AG. It was she who was being framed for the senator's death, but here he was nonetheless, making sure she was safe and at least one step ahead of the Cabal and FBI. "I'm trying, I guess I haven't taken as easily to a life on the run as you."

She turned around to avoid seeing his hurt expression and shoved the last of her clothes into the bag. "Maybe next stop you can show me how to organize a little better." She looked back at him and offered him a conciliatory smile.

He smiled brightly and brought her toiletries pack over and placed it in her bag. "That is a splendid idea, Lizzie."

He took hold of her elbow and escorted her out of the root cellar they had been holed up in for the past few days.

They had been on the run together for a month now, growing closer in their cramped little safe places. Not houses, because that would be far too noticeable to the FBI. They had stayed in tack rooms, haylofts, bar basements, tornado cellars, a theater and even once in a small cave, though there was no monsoon to wait out.

She had caught Red looking at her with heat in his eyes, like he could devour her at any moment quite a few times but he was quick to regain his mask once she caught him and launch into one of his stories about adventure and women that would effectively deflect her from reciprocating.

This time they found themselves in another hayloft, they had mucked out the stalls and she was sore and tired. Red had insisted, saying a hard day's work would be an effective sleep aid, but the stress of travel and staying in a new place only to run before she could settle into the last had taken it's toll.

 _Lizzie woke up to unfamiliar sounds outside of the barn they were currently hiding in. Red was already on his feet pulling on his pants, when he noticed she was awake he motioned for her to do the same. She started to put her clothes in her pack after getting dressed, but Red grabbed her wrist and shook his head, leading her to the far side of the loft. They peered through the crack in the hatch only to see that the barn had been surrounded._

 _She knew the plan, they were going to climb down the rope attached to the hatch and make a run for the ATV hidden in the orchard. He gave her a nod and she wound her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. Once she was securely fastened to him, he grabbed the rope and pushed open the hatch and lowered them out into the night._

 _Shouts were raised and agents came running in all directions. Red started shooting the moment his feet touched the ground. Lizzie detangled herself from him and ran as he instructed towards the orchard. She heard a familiar voice ring out ordering them to stop, she turned her head in time to see Agent Ressler catch up with Red._

 _Everything was happening in slow motion, like she couldn't move in time to stop what was happening; merely observe. She saw Red stop and turn to Ressler, gun raised. Ressler and Red seemed to shoot at the same time. Red's shot hit Ressler in the leg, but Agent Ressler wasn't so kind, hitting Red center mass. She screamed Red's name and made her way over to him, he was lying on the ground bleeding out, but there was no Dembe here this time to help her lift him into the car to treatment and safety. He looked up at her and tried to speak, but she was violently pulled off of him by Samar and another agent. They threw her to the ground and tried to subdue her, but she only wanted to be with Red. She fought them with all her might, a desperation to be near him taking hold._

Red woke up to Lizzie screaming his name, struggling in vain with the blanket that had wound itself around her body. He left his pallet and knelt down beside where she lay gently freeing her. He grabbed her shoulders and shook her as he tried to wake her. "Lizzie... Lizzie, it's me. I'm right here. It's okay, wake up."

Her eyes shot open and she looked around wide eyed and frightened before settling her gaze on Red. When she saw him she sat up and threw her arms around his neck and pulled him back down with her on the pallet. She was sobbing into his neck. "He s-s-shot you, and they… they wouldn't l-l-let me help you."

He settled down beside her and cuddled her into his chest, comforting her as well as he could. "It's ok, I'm fine. No one is going to find us here."

She cried for a while longer and then slowly began to come back to herself and surroundings. She was mortified to realize she was wrapped up tightly in Red's arms. He must think her a fool to be so worked up over a stupid nightmare. She quickly pushed herself into a sitting position and wrapped her arms around her knees self consciously. "I'm really sorry I woke you. Thank you for waking me."

Red laid there next to her for a few beats before slowly sitting up. She was like a scared colt who might bolt at any moment. He sighed inwardly. He knew he shouldn't be disappointed that she was shying away from him, it was what needed to happen. No matter how much he wants her, she deserves so much more than he can offer. "It was my pleasure Lizzie. We may as well get up as it's almost time to help with the apple harvest."

"You're enjoying this aren't you?" She shook her head and huffed a laugh, no wonder he was able to evade capture for so many years. This man was hard to pin down and profile, there was seemingly no limit to his skills, resources and interests.

He busied himself with folding and putting away his pallet while he thought of how to answer. He could tell her another story about the last time he had been in an apple orchard trysting with the wife of the local mayor, but that would only upset her. He settled for a small bit of reality. "Unfortunately you will soon learn that in this world of mine, one must take pleasure in the moments that are given."

She watched as he pulled on his pants and shoes and grabbed his dress shirt from the peg on the wall. She wondered if she would be like him one day, regaling people with stories of her travels and adventures. Never staying in one place for too long, settling for passing flings instead of real relationships. She shuddered at the thought. Was it different for men than it was for women? She couldn't picture herself jumping from bed to bed, one affair after another. Though she was nothing like Red, she didn't have the charisma and that special something he possessed that every female and most men were drawn to like moths to a flame, so she probably didn't have to worry about too many casual encounters.

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"Where are we?" Lizzie looked at the 'blink and you'll miss it' town.

"Booneville, Kentucky." He looked over to gauge her reaction to the boondocks they were going to call home for a brief time.

'Ugh', she thought. Of all the places they had stayed, this might be the most depressing.

"It may look deserted right now, but I assure you this town is populated; albeit sparsely." He wished he could take her to luxurious hotels, show her the best in life. He hated that she had to hide away, but hopefully this would all be worth it in the long run and she would be free.

"Aren't we going to stick out in such a small populace?" She couldn't quite keep the incredulity out of her voice. He had been doing this for years, of course, he knew what he was doing but this seemed a little reckless.

"The Chief of Police is a 'friend' of mine." He smiled reassuringly at her. Maybe one day she would trust him enough to know he would never lead her into harm.

"He's willing to uhh… overlook my indiscretions? She pulled her hoodie up over her head and slunk down in her seat. "What if someone recognizes me?"

"Don't worry sweetheart, we'll be safe here. In fact, this will be an extended stay."

"Really?" She sat up and let out an excited squeal. "How long? Are we going to use aliases?" She was so excited she was practically bouncing in her seat. It had only been a month but it was hard to remember what a life not moving from place to place every couple of days was like. Being able to put down roots, so to speak, even for a little while would be a welcome change.

He chuckled at her abrupt change in demeanor. He loved that he could bring her a little happiness in such a stressful time. "Yes, we will be Bill and Judy Engle. Married for four years, no children. You're a blogger and we're staying her for a while while so you can write an interesting piece about life in this impoverished appalachian town."

On the outskirts of town, they pulled up in front of a single story home, badly in need of a fresh coat of paint and an assortment of carpentry tools.

He saw her face fall as they pulled up and he got out and came around to open her door. He gave her a propitiatory look and tried to make light of it as she stepped out of the car. "It looks better on the inside?"

She didn't want to seem ungrateful, he was doing his best and she needed to let him know she appreciated what he was doing. "It may as well be a castle, as far as I'm concerned."

He was thankful she was being so amenable and not refusing to enter. "Well my lady, shall we?" He motioned for her to precede him into the house.

The house was small, maybe the size of a New York apartment. The front door led into the meager 'living' room. There was a small sofa sitting in front of the window opposite the door with a coffee table in front of it that was missing a leg and being propped up with a stack of old newspapers, what looked to be a homemade three shelved bookcase sat against one wall and a wood stove with a large pile of chopped wood next to it on the other wall. To the right was the tiniest kitchen she had ever seen. The oven seemed right out of the 1950's. One cabinet with a wooden countertop sat next to the refrigerator. To the left was a small bedroom. She looked around but didn't see a bathroom.

"Please tell me there is a hidden bathroom here somewhere." She turned to look at him in horror of the thought of trekking out to an outhouse.

"Just passed the refrigerator is a door that leads to the bathroom." He chuckled as he watched her let out the breath she was holding.

"Why don't you take the shower first, I'll bring our things in from the car." He turned and left to get their bags.

She took her bag from him when he returned and made her way into the bathroom. The toilet was to her right and a vanity to her left, her knees pressed against it as she sat to relieve herself. The showertub ran along the remaining wall. Well this place had a silver lining after all, a good soak will be heaven.

When she finally emerged from her lengthy soak, Red was sitting on the sofa ostensibly reading one of the books that had been left on the shelf. She sat down next to him and asked, "What are you reading?"

He could smell her as soon as she opened the bathroom door, he was simultaneously regretting and pleased that he had purchased the apple scented bath products for her at their last safe spot. She smelled heavenly which was hellish, since he wanted nothing more than to draw her to him and inhale her apple scented body from tip to toe. He masked his thoughts as he looked up to answer her. "A kind of dime store novel of some sort. Lurid and outlandish, but fun in spite of that."

She had been around him long enough to know when he wasn't telling her everything and there was something he wasn't saying, she knew better than to ask though, he would just deflect and she was in no mood to hear another story just now. "Sorry I took so long, but there is a bathtub in there and I couldn't resist soaking for a while."

He kept a placid smile on his face but the vision of her breasts just below the surface of the water, her shapely legs rising out the the water while she rubbed soap… He mentally shook his head and abruptly stood up. "Why don't you get some rest while I take a quick shower." A very cold one, he thought.

She understood then what he wasn't saying, it made her feel sexy and powerful. She smirked playfully at him as she stood and made sure to sway her hips just a little more than usual as she made her way to the bedroom.


	2. Chapter 2

Lizzie woke from her nap and followed the tantalizing smell of something cooking to find Red stirring a pot of something on the stovetop. Seeing him doing something so domestic was surreal. Since they had been on the run they were brought meals by Red's contacts because there had been nowhere to prepare the meals themselves.

She went to stand next to him and inhaled deeply. "That smells so good, I'm starving."

Red turned and smiled. He loved how she looked upon waking, her face was more relaxed and her cheeks slightly flushed. He wished he could walk over and kiss her until she was completely awake. He gave himself a mental shake, he was doing that a lot lately he thought wryly. He indicated the bottle of wine he had opened earlier to breathe. "Our meal should be ready in about 15 or 20 minutes. Would you have a glass of wine with me while we wait?"

"Yes, thank you." She looked around but there was no where to sit. Figuring he would follow she took the glass he had poured for her went out to sit on the sofa. He followed and sat next to her, each automatically turning towards the other.

He sipped his wine, curious as to why she wasn't peppering him with questions about their stay here. She was probably just happy to be staying somewhere for more than a few days. She let out a decompressing sigh and laid her head on the arm he had draped across the back of the sofa. If only she knew what she did to him.

All too soon, in his mind, it was time to eat. When he moved to get up, she started to follow, but he put a hand on her shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze. "Don't get up, I'll bring everything out here."

He came back out bearing a tray with steaming bowls of soup and two large pieces of cornbread along with the bottle of wine and set it on the table. He made a show of taking the napkin - actually a hand towel - and draped it over her lap before handing her a bowl of the soup. "Bon apetite."

She watched as he sat and took the same care with his 'napkin' before reaching for his own bowl. He stopped then and watched her, he seemed to be waiting for her to take the first bite. Lizzie looked at him from beneath her lashes before taking a spoonful and gently blowing to cool the liquid. His darkening pupils encouraged her. She brought the spoon to her mouth to taste what he had prepared and moaned in delight. "So good, what is it?"

He took in a breath, steadying himself before he answered. "Burgoo. He indicates the bread on the tray. "Have a piece of cornbread." He kept his gaze on her as she reached for a piece, then his voice dropped to just above a whisper as he leaned in. "Dip it in the liquid and the taste is a veritable delight on the tongue."

"A-are you going to eat?" She wasn't sure where this was going, but it was probably better to stay on more neutral ground at this point, no matter how much she wanted to take it further. She was probably reading too much into it anyway, he would probably laugh at her if he knew that she had begun to have feelings for him.

Snapped back to reality, he leaned back with a nod and took a bite of soup. If circumstances were different and they weren't forced to be so close all the time, would she respond to him the way she was? Like she needed to touch him as much as he did her, to connect on a much more intimate level. That was the crux of the matter because he wasn't sure she would.

"I'm glad you like it, not many people have the stomach for this type of delicacy."

He knew he was being a rascal, but couldn't help himself, he wanted to lighten the mood.

"What do you mean?" She looked down at her bowl in confusion, it was just soup, wasn't it?

"While you were sleeping a possum decided to come in looking for food." He shrugged his shoulders as if this wasn't something to worry about. "I suppose he didn't realize he would _be_ the food."

Liz slowly set the bowl down and concentrated on swallowing without heaving up the bite she had just taken. "I don't think I'm hungry anymore."

He adopted and innocent expression and highlighted the value of such a dish. "It's high in vitamins and protein, lean meat with very little saturated fat." He reached out and gave her a pat on the knee. "Come on Lizzie, where is your sense of adventure?"

"Why couldn't a chicken have found it's way inside?" She was pouting, but couldn't bring herself to care. Did he expect her to eat it now? She didn't want to seem ungrateful, but possums were rodents, very large, scary rodents and she was pretty sure they shouldn't be on the food pyramid; at least not hers.

Red's laugh boomed around the small space. She looked at him like he lost his mind and it only made him laugh harder. Once he recovered enough to speak, he took pity on her and told her the truth. "It's chicken, the Chief brought over a few things while you were sleeping."

She wished her glare would melt that stupid smile off his face. She picked her bowl up and resumed eating, she tried to keep her glare in place, but failed miserably. She ended up laughing with him.

Once the meal was done, she raised a serious face to look him in the eye and simply said, "Thank you."

"For what?" His confusion evident in his voice, he hoped she wasn't going to apologize for her behavior earlier, that would be like pouring salt in a wound.

"Making me laugh. I was feeling tense and a bit frantic, you're prank, though mean, helped to ease that." She shrugged her shoulders before standing and clearing the dishes. Red rose to help her but she placed her hand on his shoulder to stop him, as he had her earlier. "Please, let me. You cooked, I'll clean up. I need to feel like I'm more than a pretty face to look at."

Red stared after her as she walked away. He knew she meant that last part sarcastically. She had no notion of how truly beautiful she was. If he could wring Tom Keen's neck for making her feel anything less than the most stunning creature on the planet, he would do it in a heartbeat. He blew out a breath and decided to enjoy the night air, a little cooling off was just what he needed.

There was a banjo in the corner next to the wood stove, he grabbed it as stepped out onto the back porch to watch the stars and pluck at the strings. If he could just remember the chords for that song 'Watermelon Seeds' he had learned last time he was here, maybe he could get Lizzie to dance.

Liz finished the dishes and poured them each a drink. Another glass of wine for herself and scotch for Red. No matter where they were there was always a bottle stashed away for him. She heard the music as she walked through the front room, she stopped at the back door to listen to him play. When he finished the song she stepped out. She smiled at him in wonder, struck again at how complex the man was. "That was nice, I didn't know you could play."

"That was Wildwood Flower. It was released in 2003 on the final June Carter Cash album a few months after her death." Since he couldn't share all of what she wanted to know about their connection and her past, he gave her these glimpses of himself hoping she would see them for what they were; a sort of declaration of his feelings for her.

She shook her head and laughed. "You know a bit of just about everything don't you?"

He shrugged unsure of himself, did she think him a braggart?. "It's better to busy oneself during these periods of forced isolation, otherwise it can end up being an effort in futility to remain hidden… or sane."

She walked over to him and handed him his scotch. When their fingers brushed she felt a frisson pass through her body, not unlike electricity, and wondered if he could feel it too.

She pulled the other milk crate that was sitting in the corner of the back porch and sat next to him, watching the waning light as the stars begin to show themselves. She didn't want to move out of this moment, wishing they could stay here forever, but she had been wanting to ask him about their stay since they got here and now was as good as time as any.

"Red?"

"Hmm?" He kept his gaze on the evening sky wishing on the twinkling stars that there would be more evenings like this in the future.

"You said we were going to stay here longer." His gaze remained on the view of the heavens. Hopefully he wasn't concocting more stories or evasive answers. "Shouldn't we keep going? Not that I am complaining, mind you. It does seem like we are leaving ourselves vulnerable out here in the open like this, though."

His glass stopped just before it touched his lips. One day she would trust him, he mused. He still did not turn to look at her as he answered. "I have done this a time or two, Lizzie."

She realized how that must have sounded to him too late. She hadn't meant to hurt his feelings or his pride. "I'm sorry. I do trust you. You've evaded capture for years. This is my first time on the run, though, I'm feeling a little scared at being exposed and I guess I need some reassurance."

He turned to look at her with a soft smile then. He realised that she had asked relatively few questions since they had been on the run. She had actually given him quite a bit of trust considering their circumstances. Maybe it was time to give her a little in return. "We will be staying here for no more that two weeks, less if the contact I am waiting for gets in touch sooner."

"Who is the contact? Does this contact have information regarding me or your business?" She should probably taken a breath and not pushed him so hard, but she was surprised and excited that he had given her even that much information.

"You are my business Lizzie." He held her gaze just long enough for her to hopefully realize there was a double meaning there, before returning to watching the sky. "The information will hopefully give us another piece of information we will need to clear your name."

"Thank you. It helps to know what's going on, gives me a sense of control that I haven't had in so long. I probably never have had any, really, but it's a comfort to feel as if I do." She didn't know if it was the wine or the man beside her, but she felt a peace she hadn't felt in what seemed like forever.

He wasn't sure how long they had been sitting out there, but he could see Lizzie shivering from the cold out of the corner of his eye. "You should get into bed and curl up under the warm blankets and get some rest."

"What about you? You need to rest too." She knew he didn't sleep much, but that didn't mean she wouldn't try to get him to at least try to get a little.

"I'll sleep on the sofa." They had slept closely many times since being on the road, but never in the same bed or under the same covers. Just imagining lying next to her was causing his imagination to run wild.

"You are not sleeping on the sofa. The bed is big enough for the two of us. We are adults, Red, and besides I won't be able to sleep knowing you will be out here on that tiny excuse for furniture." She hadn't meant to get so worked up, but she wasn't about to let him suffer while she enjoyed a luxury they hadn't had in weeks.

"You've made your case Lizzie. You go ahead, I want to have another drink before retiring." he could rest on the sofa and crawl into bed at first light before she got up, none the wiser.

"Promise me." She knew him well enough to know he was just trying to placate her.

He laughed lightly, she was really getting to know him. If he waits long enough she should be asleep by the time he joins her. "Alright, I promise."

She smiled brilliantly at him in her victory and made her way inside to the bedroom. She stripped down to her just her t-shirt and panties, stopping briefly to consider what he might think of her choice of sleepwear, but shook her head at herself for being silly, thinking it wouldn't make a difference to him.

She woke a couple of hours later when she felt the bed dip beside her. She kept her eyes closed so he would think her still sleeping. She snuggled down into her blankets, happy that he wasn't being stubborn and would get some much needed rest.


	3. Chapter 3

Lizzie woke slowly feeling warm and very cozy only to realize she was laying on the chest of one very solid Raymond Reddington, his hand resting on her bottom. She froze, wondering if she should wake him or carefully roll off to avoid any embarrassment. The decision was taken out of her hands though when he gently rocked his hips upward and breathed her name. Shocked, she jerked up on her elbows to peer down at him.

The movement jarred Red awake. He tossed Lizzie off him, grabbed his gun from under the pillow and was out of bed with impressive speed, searching the room for any threat. Seeing nothing he turned and looked at the beautiful woman sprawled on the bed gawking at him like he had sprouted another head. He lowered the gun and ran his free hand over the stubble on his head and looked sheepish. "Something must have spooked me, I'm sorry."

Lizzie smirked up at him. "Now that we're safe, I think I'll take a shower."

As she walked out of the room he quipped, "Oh, by the way Lizzie, you can use me as a pillow anytime."

Her face flamed and she fled to the safety of the bathroom without turning to acknowledge him. She washed quickly and rinsed slowly, closing her eyes and letting the warm water relax her. When she opened her eyes, she screamed at the large spider that had descended to eye level. She jumped out of the shower, grabbed a towel and ran out of the bathroom.

Red heard her scream and was running to the bathroom to see what the problem was. As he rounded the kitchen doorway he collided with Lizzie. He steadied her and took a step back to ask what was wrong, but his ability to speak was impaired as he took in her wet body barely wrapped up in the tiny towel. He made a few noises in the back of his throat, willing himself to speak.

She was beginning to feel exposed as he continued to stare. Though she had to admit, it felt pretty damn good to have brought the verbose charmer to a speechless state. But there was a far more pressing matter to deal with in the form of an evil intruder in the bathroom. "Red, Red. Raymond!"

His eyes snapped to hers upon hearing his full name. It was his cheeks flaming now. He felt like a teenager seeing his first scantily clad female. He drew in a deep breath and cleared his throat before he trusted himself to speak. "I uh, heard you scream and was coming to check on you. Is everything alright?"

"No, everything's not alright, there is a very large spider in the shower." She pointed in the direction of the bathroom, visibly shaking. "Please get rid of it for me, I hate spiders."

He smiled teasingly at her. "Lizzie, I have seen you face down hardened criminals, how can one small spider cause so much fear?" She gave him such a lovely pout that he decided not to goad her any longer. "Okay, stay here and I'll take care of the little invader."

Once in the bathroom he reached in and turned off the shower. Not immediately seeing the spider, he turned and grabbed a bit of toilet paper to squish it. He almost gave up looking for it, but finally he saw it hiding behind a shampoo bottle. Of course, the spider was not as small as he thought. Well, shit. This bit of paper wasn't going to cut it. He could use his slipper, though he wished he had something longer to keep his hand as far away from it as he could. He took one off and counted to three before smacking the spider. As it fell onto the shower floor, he looked down and it had exploded into what seemed like a thousand tiny spiders. He bit back a stream of curses at the sight. He quickly turned on the shower to rinse them down the drain.

Lizzie walked in behind him to check on his progress. "Did you find it?"

He didn't turn to look at her but instead used the detachable shower head to make sure he got every last one of the spider babies in the drain. "Lizzie, look in the cabinet under the vanity and see if there is some cleaner or something we can pour down the drain so they don't crawl back up."

"They?" She made a squeaking noise and hurried to find something for Red.

He took the bathroom cleaner from her and twisted it open to pour down the drain as he answered her. "Yes, she was pregnant. If you hadn't noticed her they would have been everywhere by tomorrow morning."

She grabbed her bag off the counter and started to back out of the bathroom. "I think I'll finish getting ready in the bedroom."'

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She figured clothes shopping with Red would be an all day if not a full weekend experience, but she thought food shopping would be fairly straightforward. She was wrong. He looked at everything, read every label. He insisted it was important to know what one put in one's body. Fashionista and a foodie, who would have guessed.

"These pineapples aren't as fresh as they could be Lizzie, but we will have to make do." He picked up and smelled several before making his choice. "I want to make a pineapple upside down cake for you like my grandmother used to make. It is beyond delicious."

At one point, Lizzie tried to casually put a large bag of chocolate candies into the cart and thought she had succeeded until he snatched it out of the cart and tried to put it back on the shelf. "Red, I'm really going to need some chocolate this week."

He started to protest, but then realization struck. "Oh, well you will probably need some ibuprofen. Do you use tamp… "

She cut him off with a hand to his mouth. He seemed to be talking at a louder volume than normal and her cheeks felt like they were burning. "Do you have to be so loud?"

His eyes were twinkling when he took her hand from his mouth. "It's ok sweetheart, it's nothing to be embarrassed about."

"I wasn't embarrassed until you decided to tell the entire grocery store." She could hear Red's soft laughter as she left to find what she needed and couldn't help but smile herself. It was becoming more and more difficult to stay irritated with him.

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It was well after lunch time when they finally had everything unloaded and put away at the house. Red made them each a sandwich and they sat down on the sofa to eat. The ate in silence for some time before Lizzie yawned hugely and sank back into her seat. "I never knew shopping could be such an ordeal."

He seemed shocked at her statement. "You don't like shopping Lizzie?"

"I do, I just tend to take less time with the decisions I guess." She shrugged her shoulders and took the last bite of her sandwich.

Red sat his plate down and took a long sip of his iced tea before leaning back and studying the peeling wallpaper across the room. "Clothes and food are the two things in life that one should take time to make the right choices." He gestured down the length of his body to indicate his wardrobe. "They each have the ability to enhance or undermine one's appearance."

Lizzie smiled at his profile. The fearsome Concierge of Crime needed to look good at all times she supposed. His image was part of how he manipulated the way people perceived him. She wondered if he was always this fastidious with his appearance or if it came from years of cultivation. He wasn't watching her so she used the opportunity to study him. He had a wonderful profile, she mused as her eyes started to to feel heavy.

Red watched her from the corner of his eye as her head drooped and her breathing evened out into sleep. He got up and carefully laid her head where he had been sitting and covered her with the afghan laying on the back of the sofa. He gently brushed the hair from her face and placed a kiss on her forehead. He would let her sleep for a while, he had to meet a contact later this evening and wanted to take Lizzie with him to share a few drinks.

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The place they went happened to be a small hole-in-wall. There were people sitting at the bar enjoying drinks, others were sitting at tiny tables eating sliders and chicken wings while couples danced around them. They looked so out of place: Liz in a slinky black dress with heels and Red in his signature three piece suit. Red walked in with her on his arm, confident as always. She mirrored his gate and did her best to look as self assured as he did.

He guided them up to the bar and greeted the bartender with a wide smile like he had been coming here for years. "Hello Jack, the lady will have a margarita on the rocks with salt and I'll take a whiskey; neat."

He turned to look at Lizzie, his brow raised as if in challenge of ordering for her. She knew what subtle signs to look for now that she had spent so much one on one time with him. He was holding himself still, barely breathing in silent anticipation of her reaction; at least he realized he overstepped a boundary. She should probably vent her displeasure but the little devil in her wanted to see if she could shock him for once, see what he would do. She leaned forward so he could hear her over the loud music. "Ordering for me?" She lifted her hand to run her fingers along the lapels of his suit, her eyes following her hand until she met his eyes. "That was incredibly sexy."

His reaction wasn't exactly what she had hoped for, but she did see the brief jolt of surprise in his eyes before he leaned in and let his lips touch her ear as he whispered. "Not as sexy as you look tonight, I'm sure."

She didn't realize she had been leaning into him until he shifted back to greet someone over her shoulder and he had to steady her so she wouldn't fall off the stool. She raised her drink the bartender had just sat down to cover the flush in her cheeks.

Red took out a fifty dollar bill to pay for their drinks and told the bartender to keep the change, knowing that they would now be served first no matter how busy the bar got. He turned back and introduced the man who had come to stand beside them. "This is Larry. Larry, this is my beautiful wife Judy."

She smiled and nodded her head in acknowledgment. The man looked like he hadn't showered in weeks, she wondered what business Red could possibly have with him.

He leaned into her space but this time for practicality instead of flirting. "Will you be alright for a few minutes while I talk with him?"

"I may look like a blonde bimbo, but I can handle myself." She smiled at him and took another drink.

He smiled as he shook his head at her and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "I'll be right back." He turned and followed Larry out the back entrance.

She nursed her drink slowly for a few minutes, hoping Red wouldn't take too long, when she spied someone making his way over to her. He propped himself up on the bar beside her and took his time looking at her from head to toe and back again before leaning in. "I'm really jealous of your dress."

Lizzie looked down at her dress, surprised at his comment. "My dress? Why?"

He smiled at her, confident now that she hadn't immediately turned him down. "Because it's touching your body and I'm not."

"And you won't have an opportunity." Came Red's frosty reply as he reached her side, took her by the elbow and lead her out to the car.

"Oh come on Red, don't let that spoil our evening out." He opened the door for her, but she turned to him to see he was looking furtively around.

When he realized she wasn't getting in he took her arm and gently but firmly pushed her to enter the vehicle, saying only. "Please, we need to hurry."

Once she was in he rushed to the driver's side and quickly put the car in motion. He looked worried and that sent a jolt of fear through her. "Red, what's wrong?"

He looked over at her to convey a silent apology for cutting their respite short. "Lizzie, we need to move again."

"I thought we were safe to stay here for at a week or two." She was just starting to relax again, she needed this… they needed this.

"My contact is dead, we've been compromised." He couldn't look at her for this next part, he knew he was letting her down. "We're going to need to split up."

"What? No! I don't want to go without you." She turned in her seat to face him and to lay a hand on his arm, hoping that there was a way to stay together.

"There is no other option, they will be looking for us as a pair." He hated to leave her, but if everything went to plan, they would meet again in a few days. "I've already set a plan in motion."

She flopped back around crossing her arms defensively. "I wish you would have a least talked it over with me first, maybe I could have helped come up with a plan; a better plan"

He gripped the steering wheel tighter to keep from taking her hand in his, it would be easier when they separate if he held himself aloof. "Protocols have been in place since before we were ever on the run."

"You had all this planned from when? The beginning? How could you have possibly known what would happen?" She was becoming more and more frustrated with him, he could be so stubborn sometimes.

"I plan for every eventuality Elizabeth. Do you think I turned myself into the FBI before I studied every outcome and prepared accordingly?" Did she think he just went through life by the seat of his pants? She could at least give him some credit, he thought grumpily.

Her mouth formed an o as realization hit her. No wonder he always seemed two steps ahead all the time. She thought about Tom, about how he wanted her to sail away with him. Laughable now that she knew the extent of Red's planning. Had she gone with Tom she would probably already be in some secret facility being systematically tortured and left to rot in her cell. Not that Tom didn't want to help her but he lacked the resources and advanced planning skills.

"I didn't realize. I'm sorry." She smiled, but he wasn't looking at her. Hopefully the apology would smooth any feathers she may have ruffled.

They drove for about twenty miles before he pulled over onto the side of the road and got out and reached into the overgrown shrubbery to push open a gate that had been effectively hidden either through misuse or design. He motioned for her to take the wheel and drive through. As soon as the car cleared the gate, he shut it behind them.

They drove for what seemed like an eternity on that one lane dirt road until they came upon a lonely cabin. Red got out of the car and she followed him as he entered the lonely little structure. Was he planning on leaving her out here by herself? "Red?"

He knew she thought he was going to leave her out here in the middle of nowhere, he wished he could; it would probably be safer. "We won't be staying here for long. There are bags for both of us in here and two vehicles in the back."

Her "oh" came out sounding weak and pathetic. She had come to rely on him and the thought of being separated was causing a bit of anxiety. She had always been so independant, or so she liked to think she was. But after everything that had happened, he had been the one constant in her life, even when she called him a monster or shut him out of her life; he still cared. He was the one who sat with her, lending an ear or a shoulder to cry on. She could do this though, she was strong and she would show him she was capable.

The bags were on the table just as he had instructed. He unzipped them both to make sure everything was there, then closed them back up. He turned and handed Lizzie the blue one, maintaining a business like attitude, hoping it would help her cope with the initial separation. "There are clothes, a driver's license with a new identity, keys to the car, cash, a burner phone with a number to call Mr. Kaplan if things go awry, and directions to the next safe house."

He locked his gaze with hers. He needed to know she heard every word of what he was about to say, he wanted to make sure she understood the importance of discretion. He wouldn't tell her that Tom was suspected of killing his contact and was probably already on his way to find them. "Lizzie, it is imperative that you not contact anyone from your past. It is vital to your survival that no one know where you are." He stared intently at her willing her to understand. "Promise me Lizzie."

"I promise."

She knew he was talking about Tom. She wasn't married to him anymore, but she couldn't help to still have feelings for him. And then there were her feelings for Red. They confused her and she wasn't entirely sure if he reciprocated them.

He moved past her after grabbing his own bag but she grabbed his arm to stop him. He turned back around to ask what she needed when she captured him in a fierce hug. He didn't waste any time and hugged her back. He stepped out of the embrace and into the night.


	4. Chapter 4

Lizzie had been driving for hours, binging on coffee and donuts to keep awake, only taking cat naps in the car when she felt it was safe to stop. She was starting to feel woozy from the caffeine buzz, the sugar high and lack of sleep. She pulled off the interstate at a truck stop to relieve herself and get something substantial to eat at the diner.

She was plowing her way through a plate of ribeye and eggs, when she chanced to look out the window and see four highway patrol officers looking in her car. The hairs on the back of her neck started to tingle. How did they find her, no one here had paid much attention to her; or so she had thought.

She couldn't get to her car while those cops were there, but she couldn't just stay here either. She called the waitress over and asked for her check. The waitress gave her a strange look as she walked away and Lizzie figured that's who called in to report her whereabouts. She was cursing herself for being stupid enough to stop in such a public place, but she had been hungry dammit.

The waitress was taking her sweet time with the check, probably stalling. Lizzie got up and met her at the register. The woman looked annoyed and reluctantly handed her the bill. She paid and used the restroom, when she came back out she noticed there were only two officers now standing at the car. "Wonderful" she muttered as she looked around to see what had happened to the others.

She could run through the back, but she would need to distract the eagle eyed waitress. She went back into the bathroom and grabbed a bunch of paper towels and shoved them into the waste bin, then set it on fire. She waited a few heartbeats after the alarm sounded to make her way out through the kitchen, while everyone else was rushing to the front. She had barely made it out the back door before someone grabbed her from behind and shoved her face first against the wall. she drew her arm up and back into her attackers midsection, using his lessened grip to turn around to lash out again. She pulled the next punch just in time as Tom looked up at her from his bent position.

"Hey, babe." He stood up straight and smiled at her, confident that she was still enthralled with him.

"What are you doing here?" Wasn't he supposed to be on a boat to somewhere tropical?

"I was about to ask you the same thing. I figured Reddington would have had you out of the country by now."

"Tom, as much I would love to stand here and play catch up, I'm a little busy right now." She moved to step around him, but he grasped her arm.

"Let me help, I know a place around here where you can hide out for a little while." He gave her the silly little smile that she loved and could usually get her to come around to his way of thinking.

She was torn. Red had told her to be careful and not to contact anyone from her past. But she didn't reach out to Tom, so letting him help wouldn't really be breaking her promise to him.

"Okay, let's go." She hoped this didn't come back to bite her in the ass. What a stroke of fate that he had parked in the back.

"Get down and stay down Liz." He covered her with a blanket to better hide her after she was as curled as she could get behind the driver's seat.

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Tom led Lizzie to a bedroom in the three story house they had arrived at and motioned for her to go inside. "You need to stay in here, it's not safe out there, these guys aren't the best characters."

She hated that he was treating her like she needed to be saved. "Then why bring me here? I just needed a distraction and then I could have gotten to safety."

"With Reddington?" He shook his head and looked at her with pity. "You don't get it Liz, he isn't safe and you're definitely in more danger with him."

"You don't know him like I do, Tom. He would never hurt me." She was annoyed that he was trying to paint Red in a bad light.

"You keep telling yourself that, Liz. Just stay here. I'll be back as soon as I can work out a deal to get you safely away from here." He walked out of the room and closed the door before she could respond.

It had been two hours and Tom still wasn't back, what was taking him so long? Liz put her ear to the door to listen for any sound and heard bits and pieces of a muted conversation.

"I wonder if the Russians are coming here or… "

Lizzie couldn't hear the last part of what the man said so she pressed her ear more firmly to the door.

"Keen didn't say, but he was glad to be rid… "

The conversation was interrupted by a third person, but she couldn't make out what was being said. She backed away from the door as she heard footfalls coming down the hall toward her room, but they passed by without stopping.

She couldn't believe what she had just heard. Tom would never turn her over to the Russians, he was helping her, wasn't he? She needed to leave this place. She was doubting Tom again, but she couldn't help it after the whispered words she had heard from the corridor.

Leaving by the door could be noisy if she had to take out the guards, a stealthy exit would be preferable. She went to the window and looked out. There was no ledge to climb onto and it was too far to jump, she would break her legs if she tried. Lizzie whirled around and studied the poorly lit room. A queen sized bed with a sturdy, beautifully carved four poster wooden frame sat to the left of the large window. A nightstand next to the bed held the small lamp that was the sole illumination for the space. A large armoire with carvings to match the bed sat along the far wall, and an overstuffed chair waited invitingly in the corner. Lizzie strode across the room to check for anything she could use in the wardrobe: empty. There was nothing she could use to escape; except the sheets on the bed… it could work, it had to. It worked in the movies and there had to be some kind of realism to that; at least she hoped so.

Less than ten minutes later she had knotted the top and bottom sheets and tied them together as securely as she could. It would not be enough to reach the ground, but long enough to keep from injuring herself. She tied one end to the bed frame and threw the remainder out the window.

Lizzie stared down into the darkness and took a deep cleansing breath. She firmly grabbed a fistful of the sheets while she sat on the window sill. She closed her eyes, needing to clear her mind and use all her strength and wits to keep hold of the sheets so she wouldn't fall. Swinging her legs over the ledge, she began to lower herself to the ground.

Suddenly gunshots and angry voices rang out. Dread was crawling up her spine, she was a target just hanging here, ripe for picking. The door still hadn't burst open so maybe her escape wasn't the cause of the commotion. The distraction of the guards would be fortuitous for her tonight.

"Liz." Tom's voice rose softly, but urgently from the depths below. "What are you doing? You could get hurt."

She was so shocked on hearing Tom's voice that she nearly lost her grip on the sheet. She repositioned her grip so as not to fall and peered down trying to see him in the darkness. "Tom? What are you doing down there?"

"Hold on Liz, let me get into position to catch you." She saw him as he came to stand in a shaft of moonlight.

"Wait, how did you know I would be out here?" Shouldn't he have come through the door? He was working with the men keeping guard outside her door after all.

He sounded sincere and apologetic. "The deal I was negotiating went south and they decided to keep you and wouldn't let me back in."

She hesitated. She tried to read him, but could see little of his face in the low light of the moon. Didn't the guards say something about him being glad to be rid something? As she clung to the sheets in indecision, the bedroom door open and she froze.

"Lizzie?" Red's lovely warm voice was muffled, but unmistakable. "Lizzie, we need to hurry, if you're here, come out now." He commanded.

"Reddington is here," Tom hissed. "You need to drop down to me. I found out these guys are working for him, he will kill you if he finds you."

Red leaned out through the open window before she could respond. "Elizabeth, for christ's sake, get back up here." He took hold of the bedsheet and started to haul her back up to him.

Tom was starting to sound desperate now. "Come on, Liz. You need to trust me, if you let him drag you through that window, you will be signing your death warrant." Tom held up his arms in a silent plea. "Let go Liz, I promise you'll be safe with me."

Lizzie's arms were beginning to strain with the effort to hold on. Her shoulders were aching and her fingers were clenched so tightly that they were trembling. She wouldn't be able to hang on much longer.

Red was irritated that she was even thinking of dropping down to Tom, his voice reflected that as he promised her, "If you let go of this damn sheet, I swear to god you will never hear the end of it!"

She needed to make a choice, she didn't want to believe the worst of Tom, even after what she heard earlier, but she couldn't deny he hadn't always acted honorably with her. Red never lied to her even though he too was a criminal. Red did not disclose the names of the members of the team, leading to the death of Meera and almost killing Cooper. Red did not use her as a shield and point a gun to her head, instead he used himself as a shield when a gun was pointed at her, she could go on, but Tom and Red were not cut from similar cloth. She knew in that moment with perfect clarity while hanging from the window, that she had been hiding from her feelings for Red by projecting them on to Tom.

"Red!" she gasped, "Don't let go."

"I will never let go sweetheart, as long as you want me I'll be here for you." He vowed.

She smiled brilliantly up at him as he reached down and firmly grabbed her wrists to bring her through the window. He dropped her wrists but immediately took hold of her shoulders to gaze intently at her. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, my arms are killing me, but otherwise I'm fine." She had a silly grin on her face, there was no way to stop it. She just realized that she loved this man.

Red stepped away from her and leaned out the window to see Tom running through the garden. "The bastard is getting away, hopefully one of my men will stop him before he gets too far."

"Your men?" Tom had said these men worked for Red. She was loathe to believe it, but had to be sure.

"Yes, didn't you hear the gunshots? As soon as I found out where you were I brought a team to get you out." He didn't like the look on her face, but didn't want to deal with that right now. He had another matter he felt was more pressing. "What the hell happened to not trusting people from your past? I gave you cash and an identity to get you to the safe house without having to ask for help."

"I didn't ask for his help, I ran into him and he offered." When he continued to scowl she added. "There were people chasing me and I figured he would try to prove himself by getting me out of danger." The euphoria of her revelation of love was quickly being replaced by a familiar anger, he seemed to know all the right buttons to press.

Red lifted his head to watch the ceiling while he waited to get a handle on his irritation. After a moment he looked back at her. "This was a trap. Tom brought you here so the Germans could lure me out of hiding and take me."

"You knew this was a trap and still rushed in to save me?" She rushed forward and hugged him tightly to her.

His arms immediately tightened around her. "Always, Lizzie, I will always save you."

She leaned back to see his face, wondering what all this had been about. "Why would the Germans want you?"

He kissed her forehead and released her. "I have no idea what they could want with me, but I know once they had me, you were to be handed over to the Russians."

To hear Tom was willing to hand her over to the Russians crushed her. She knew their relationship had been a lie, but he had said he wanted to start over and have a second chance to build a new life; be a better man. Lies, all lies, she thought as the first teardrops pushed past her lashes and down her cheeks.

As soon as Red saw the tears he rushed to her and gathered her in his arms, allowing her to release all that was pent up inside of her. It was bittersweet to be able to offer her comfort right now. To know he was ultimately the cause of that pain by hiring Tom in the first place grieved him. He just hoped that when she was done lamenting the loss of everything she once had, that there would be room for him.


	5. Chapter 5

They flew to San Francisco in Red's jet. As Lizzie was coming down the steps of the plane she saw Dembe casually leaning against the car waiting for them. She flew down the rest of the stairs and enveloped him in a tight hug. "Dembe! It's so good to see you." He gave her a bright smile in return.

Red was right behind her and as soon as she released Dembe he pulled his friend to him and kissed him on the cheek and they hugged fiercely. He knew Dembe had had a few close calls while leading their enemies on false trails and was overjoyed to have him near again. "It is good to see you in good health my friend."

"And you my brother." Dembe squeezed Red's shoulder before turning and opening the door letting Lizzie slide in and Red after her.

When they got the the safe house Dembe showed them around the bottom floor. There was a large entry way, which surprised Lizzie since from the outside it looked to be much smaller. There was a grand staircase in front of them, to the right was a large sitting area with a piano in one corner and writing desk in another and bookshelves lined the walls. A large fireplace dominated another wall with seating surrounding it for friendly gatherings or curling up with a good book on chilly nights. There were large windows that flooded the room with the warmth and light of the sun and gave way to a stunning view of the ocean just below the cliffs.

They then walked through the archway on the left into a formal dining room and on into the massive kitchen. There was a large island with a stove and two ovens, the walls on two sides surrounding it were lined with cupboards the counters topped with marble. There was a small breakfast nook in the corner surrounded with windows. On the opposite wall were a set of double doors that led onto a large terrace to watch the ocean waves crash against the rocky shore. Off the terrace there was a set of stairs that led down to a lower level swimming pool and then extended down, winding into the cliffs below.

As Lizzie stood watching the waves, Red came up behind her and placed his hands gently on her shoulders, she leaned back against him willingly. They hadn't talked on the plane ride over. He had been busy making calls and looking pensive. She hoped tonight would allow her the chance to tell him of her feelings.

Red bent and gave her a lingering kiss on her temple. Inhaling her rapturous scent, before turning her around. "Why don't you take a walk down to the cliffs while Dembe and I make sure the security is in place and working correctly, and we will join you when we're done."

"Are you sure? I can help if you need me to." She didn't want to let him go, thinking he may be trying to distance himself.

"I would rather know that you are relaxing and enjoying the spectacular view from the cliffs below."

He had been at first enraged to find she went with Tom, but he had time to think on the plane and knew as he once told her, that love makes you powerless. But she hadn't jumped into Tom's waiting arms, she had clung to the sheets trusting him not to drop her. Did that mean she didn't love Tom anymore? He wasn't sure. At any rate, a relationship between them would be complicated and she deserved something far better than he could give her; though it didn't make him want it any less.

Not wanting him to see the hurt in her eyes, she turned to walk down the steps, calling over her shoulder. "Bring some wine with you."

Less than fifteen minutes later she heard someone coming down the steps behind her. She looked up to find Red descending with two glasses of wine in his hands. She tried to dim the thousand watt smile when she saw him, but at his smirk, she knew she had been unsuccessful. "That was quick."

He handed her a glass and looked out over the waves. "Dembe decided I could do with some relaxing too."

They watched the ocean, sipping their drinks in companionable silence. He wasn't going to ask her about earlier when he had found her hanging from the window, but he couldn't seem to dampen his curiosity of why she chose him. He didn't want to hold onto a hope of something that would never be."Lizzie, why did… why?"

She cut him off sensing it was difficult for him to ask and she was pretty sure she knew what he was trying to say. "Why didn't I chose Tom?"

His sharp gaze locked on hers. He would not be able to turn away now, even knowing she may be about to derail the oncoming train of his emotions by telling him she just needed answers from him. A simple "Yeah," was all he could voice at that moment.

"Because I love you." It was simple and direct. She didn't want to leave anything open to interpretation. She needed him like she needed air. While hanging from that window, everything had flashed before her. She had fought him so hard for so long, not realizing that with each passing day she was falling for him a little bit more. He had done things in his pursuit to protect her that angered her and caused her to call him monster. But then she had killed to protect him, twice. She would go to any length to keep him by her side.

"Lizzie." Her name was torn from him as if it came from the depths of his blackened soul. He sat his wine glass on the railing and cupped her face lovingly wanting to say something poignant, but when no words came he dipped his head instead to taste her lips for the first time.

She ran her free hand up his biceps to curl around his neck and draw him closer to her. Loving the feeling of his lips on hers.

They were so involved with exploring each other that they did not hear someone approach

"Hello, dearies."

Lizzie startled slightly, but Red slowly turned to their visitor with Lizzie still in his arms. "Hello, Kate, I wondered when you would be joining us."

"I hate to cut your time out here short, but I have the information you requested for your meeting tomorrow." She nodded to Lizzie in greeting and turned to walk back up the winding steps.

"Meeting?" She tried not to bristle on being left out of the loop. They hadn't talked much on the plane and she hoped she would be included.

"Since my last contact was taken off the playing board, I've been trying to make contact with plan B." He smiled reassuringly at her and they walked hand in hand back up the path to the house.

Dembe and Mr. Kaplan were waiting in the kitchen, sitting at the small breakfast nook, just big enough for the four of them to squeeze into. Mr. Kaplan had cooked a small meal for them and had everything waiting on the table. She took a seat while Red went to rinse their glasses. Dembe was giving her a sly smile while Mr. Kaplan was studying her with a piercing gaze. She tried to look everywhere but at them sighing in relief when Red sat down beside her.

He moved his chair closer to Lizzie, draping his arm on the back of her chair, letting his fingers graze her shoulders. Not wasting any time, he looked to Mr. Kaplan and got right to business. "Have you set the meeting already, and did you find out why he was so difficult to contact?"

Mr. Kaplan got up to grab a file she had sitting on the counter behind them. "Apparently he was on a trek through the rainforest and was unreachable until they reached camp."

Red took his arm from around Lizzie and leaned forward placing the arm that was around her over her legs while he flipped through several pictures in the file with the other. Now that he knew how she felt about him, he couldn't stop touching her afraid he may be dreaming. His brow creased as he thought about his contact leaving when he was supposed to stay close. "He knew we may need him during this time and assured me he would be available."

Dembe leaned forward in his seat to grab Red's attention. "We have people watching him, there has been quite a lot of activity in his business. Buying selling, takeovers and the like, but nothing to indicate he is moving against you."

Red was suddenly tense and alert. "Why would you think he was working against us?"

It was Mr. Kaplan who answered. "You know I've never liked the whelp. When I couldn't reach him through the regular channels, I was suspicious and had some inquiries made."

Red laughed quietly. He would be forever thankful to her for being as cautious as she was, it had saved him countless times. "You are right not to trust him. He is ruthless and cunning and would turn on a dime if he thought there would be more to gain elsewhere, but there is no real advantage for him to betray me in this. All I'm asking for is a bit of information in exchange for a small slice of my arms business."

"Is that wise to give a man like that a foothold into arms dealing?" Lizzie didn't know a lot about his criminal empire, but surely he wouldn't let the really bad guys get the guns. Though she knew that was naive to think Red somehow controlled how the guns were used once sold.

He gave her legs a gentle squeeze. "Don't worry Lizzie, he's only going to have access to my associates in remote locations, battling dictatorships for their freedom." He wished he could tell her that the guns would only be used on the bad guys, but as she got a better look at his world, she would find out for herself that it just didn't work that way. Working through the blacklist would help loosen the foothold of many of the worst, but it would take time.

He turned back to Mr. Kaplan to go over the details of the meeting. "The time and location of this meeting?"

"He wants to meet tomorrow morning at five a.m. at the battery chamberlain on Bakers Beach. He has somehow managed to have security busy elsewhere for your meeting." She pointed to the aerial view to the beach to show where the entrance point was. "You will enter here, this is the only entrance or exit. We have eyes on the outside now and they will alert us if anyone enters or leaves before your meeting."

Red could see Mr. Kaplan was not entirely comfortable with the meeting place. "It's okay Kate. I'll take Dembe with me. If anything goes awry, you know what to do."

"Wait, I'm not going with you?" She was incensed that he wanted to leave her here on the sidelines. She was perfectly capable of keeping them safe.

He shot at look at his friends, who took the hint and busied themselves with the dishes. He turned so he was facing her so he could look her in the eyes. "I need to meet this particular contact alone Lizzie, if he thinks there might be the slightest weakness in me, he will pounce."

"And I'm your weakness?" She knew she meant a lot to him, but his weakness. He was probably going to tell her how presumptuous she was.

He gave a small upward quirk of his lips and simply said, "Yes."

Her lips parted in shock and then she felt happiness permeate every cell in her being. He made her feel loved and safe, a feeling she hadn't had in a relationship before. "Okay, but please be careful." She knew that Mr. Kaplan and Dembe had secured the location, but anything could happen.

"I will do all in my power to return to you." He worked his mouth like he wanted to say something else but he just smiled that sad little smile of his not knowing how to ask for what he wanted.

"We should get to bed." She rose and took his hand pulling him with her.

They walked side by side up the staircase, hands clasped. He led her to a door along the long hallway. "This is your room, Lizzie. Sleep well." He bent to kiss her but she drew back.

"I thought you would want to spend the night with me." She smiled up at him. His happy expression made him look years younger. She opened the door and stepped inside.

He followed quickly and shut the door behind him. He suddenly felt unsure of himself, not knowing if she just wanted to cuddle or if there was more on her mind. He was pleasantly surprised when she pulled him out of his musings by backing him against the door and kissing him. He pulled her more firmly against him and deepened the kiss.

They needed to talk about so much, but right now all he needed to her to know was that he would never give her up after this. "Lizzie, this means more to me than just sex. You mean more to me. I can't do for just a little while."

"I know, I feel the same. I want to be yours and for you to be mine, until the very end." She couldn't, wouldn't even contemplate a life without him now. He had taken up residence in her heart like he owned it and what he would soon discover, was that he did.

"I need to know you understand what that really means, Lizzie. Being in a relationship with me won't be easy. It will complicate matters and I am a possessive man." He would never let her go. She was his ray of light, his second chance. He would go to the very ends of the earth for her.

"I already know that about you, Ray." It sent a little thrill through her to say his name, it felt like home. "Whatever comes, we will get through it together. You said it yourself, we make a great team."

He laughed at hearing his words mirrored back to him. He backed her up until her legs hit the back of the bed and then followed her down and set his weight atop her, using his elbows to keep from crushing her small frame. Before he bent to kiss her he vowed to her, "Always and forever, Lizzie."


	6. Chapter 6

After dressing for his early morning meeting, Red sat down beside Lizzie's sleeping form and brushed a hand over her silken locks and softly kissed her full lips, whispering in her ear, "I love you sweetheart, I'll be back soon."

Lizzie woke some time later feeling unsettled. Something felt off, but she couldn't figure out what it might be. The hairs on the back of her neck stirred just before her mouth was covered by a cloth, she struggled against her attacker, trying to see him in the pitch black room but the fumes were too strong and her eyes would not focus. She felt her body go limp and the world seemed to tilt. Just before her eyes closed and sleep took her, she thought of Ray and knew he would come for her.

Red and Dembe arrived at the meeting place, to see no sign of the men Kate had posted outside to keep watch. Dembe un holstered his weapon and touched Red's arm to get his attention. "This could be an ambush, let me go first."

Red reluctantly stepped back and let Dembe take the lead. He had a reason to return now, and would do what he could to get back to Lizzie. He readied his weapon and followed his friend into the inky darkness of the battery chamberlain, pulling a small penlight from his jacket pocket to illuminate their steps.

As they rounded the corner a scraping noise was heard behind them. Red was knocked on the head before he could turn and fell into an unconscious heap at Dembe's feet. No sooner had the bodyguard rounded and fought off the attacker then two more men came out of the darkness, he was able to shoot them before they could get a shot off. He knelt next to Red and was reassured by his steady pulse. He was trying to revive his friend, when several men came from the front and back of him. He could do nothing but surrender and hope Kate would come searching when they had been gone for too long.

The men led Dembe to a room and tied him to a chair as another man was dragging a slowly waking Red in to sit on the chair next to him. Red was relieved to see that his friend had not yet been harmed. He smiled conspiratorially at his friend, knowing that would prove to be their captors fatal mistake when the opportunity for escape came.

They didn't have long to wait before the traitor himself appeared. Striding in, confident in his supremacy. "Red, so glad you could make it."

"We had a deal, Elijah." He had been confident that the younger man would hold to their bargain and knew he did not take betrayal lightly.

Elijah shrugged, unconcerned. "Plans changed, Red."

"What do you want? You're already getting a percentage from my business." Elijah had been trying to get him to agree to this for over two years, why screw it up now? There had to be something else in play.

Elijah's laughter boomed and bounced around on the concrete walls. "A percentage? Ha! I now have the power and resources to take it all.

Red huffed a laugh and shook his head, what a little upstart. "Look at you, master of your domain. The prince of the criminal world, taking what you will with no regard to the damage you cause or the enemies you make."

"Don't be absurd, Red, I'm no prince." He leaned in as if he was about to whisper his most treasured secret and yelled, "I'm the fucking king!" He leaned back and smiled arrogantly. "I've built a business that rivals your own and now I've come to pull the rug out from under you."

Red smirked back at him, causing Elijah's smile to slip and making a show of tugging on the ear that was sorely abused moments ago. "You're delusional Elijah. Let me go and I might be persuaded to forget this little incident."

Elijah sneered at Red, his jealousy on clear display. "You think you're so suave, prancing about in your three piece suits and that funny little hat. You look like a 40's style wanna be gangster. It's time for a newer generation to take command."

Red sat back in his seat and crossed his legs. He extended his hands towards Elijah in invitation of hearing his great plan. "Please, enlighten me on how you're going to wrest my business from me. You think I've been around for this long and not had men more formidable than you try and take me down?"

Elijah smirked at Red. He was going to relish the look of impotent rage on the older man's face when he brought in his ace in the hole. "I'm sure many have tried, but they didn't know your weakness Red." He motioned to his man at the door, who signaled to someone waiting just outside. Tom Keen came into view a moment later with a large canvas bag dragging behind him stopping only when it rested at Red's feet. Elijah bent down and unzipped it to reveal an unconscious Lizzie.

Red felt his insides chill and he let out an internal howl of rage, all the while he was able to keep his indifferent mask in place; thanks to many years of practice. He smiled blandly up at the men who he would take great pleasure in ripping apart piece by piece and spoke as if he were having a drink, reminiscing with a friend. "Of all the women I've had, she has been by far the most delicious." He glanced down at her briefly, relieved that she had yet to wake to hear the abhorrent things he was saying. "Even after I find another to fill the empty space in my bed, I'm not sure she will be easy to forget." He shrugged his shoulders as if it was of no major consequence. "But I suppose we all have that one who stalks our dreams."

Tom smiled his oily smile and bent down to brush his hands over Lizzie's hair and looked up at Red. "Delicious? Come on, Red, I've already sampled her, she was never that good."

Red would love nothing more than to savor punishing Tom for his treatment of Lizzie. He was saved from any dialogue with the man as the sound of heels clacking on the cement was getting closer, then gunshots. The door swung open again to admit Red's man Baz with Mr. Kaplan following close behind. Tom and Elijah each took a shot in the shoulder from Mr. Kaplan's gun as Baz took out the other guards in the room.

Red quickly untied Dembe to help Baz secure Tom. They would deal with him later. He ran to kneel by Mr. Kaplan who was using a smelling salt to wake Lizzie.

He gathered Lizzie's head close to his chest as she started to wake. He was so happy she was unharmed he had to use all of his considerable will to hold back the tears. He brushed fingers over her jaw lovingly. "Wake up sweetheart, I think you've slept enough for one day."

She looked up at him and smiled, but her smile soon turned to anguish as she moaned, "I'm going to vomit!"

Red turned her in just enough time to avoid wearing any of it. He held her hair back until she hung limply from his arms. Mr. Kaplan handed Lizzie a hanky to wipe her mouth and reached to help her stand. "You all need to leave, my cleanup team is already on route."

Red put Lizzie's arm over his shoulder and they left the building with Dembe close behind. "We will have to move to a secondary location since the fist has been compromised." He had planned on a midnight tryst overlooking the ocean, but it seemed that was not to be.

"Thank you, I knew you would save me." She was too weak still to do anything but let him half carry her to the car, but she wanted to hug and kiss him until he was breathless.

"I wish you could thank me, but that rescue was all Kate." He helped her into the car and then slid in beside her.

"Did… did I see Tom there?" For the first time she wished that he would fall off the face of the earth and leave her to be happy.

Red would have been insecure at her question a few days ago, but after last night he knew it was he that held her heart. "Yes, he was the one who took you from the safe house and brought you to the meeting place." She scooted over and Red lifted his arm so she could snuggle into his chest. "We will have to question him, once you are feeling a little better, to find out what he had planned."

Surprised, she leaned back to look at him. "You are going to let me go with you to interrogate him?"

"Of course, we are a team aren't we?" He loved the brilliant smile he received. He would take her lead in how to deal with Tom. He did not want anything to get in the way of their relationship and knew that Lizzie would have to deal with this in her own way if she was going to be able to move forward for good.


	7. Chapter 7

Dembe drove them to the alternate safe house, it was as small as the previous one was large and was situated a few blocks over from Haight street in a quiet neighborhood. Red led her to one of the two bedrooms and had her sit on the bed while he went into the other room to bring in her things. She should not be surprised that this place also had everything she would need and in her size and style.

"I thought you might like to shower before we decide what to do about your ex." He helped her up and followed her into the bathroom.

"Red, it's ok. I'm fine, really." He was so sweet with his concern, and it just made her love him all the more.

"If you need anything I'll just be in the front room, I'll hear if you call." He kissed her temple and left the room. What he really wanted was to shower with her and look over every part of her to prove that she really was safe and not an illusion.

He needed a drink while he thought about all that had happened this morning. He would let Brimley get information from Elijah regarding his accounts and business and why he thought he could betray him before putting the pup out of his misery. He wondered if Lizzie would let him kill Tom or would even want him to die. She had loved him once upon a time.

His cell phone chirped interrupting his thoughts, the number showed that it was Agent Ressler. Well, he might as well see what he had to say. "Donald, I'm already taken, so you will have to find someone else to join you for dinner tonight."

"Very funny, Reddington. I have news for you."

"I'm listening." The only news he wanted to hear is that Liz had been exonerated.

"Cooper and I have been working a few angles on the side and we found Karakurt. He is going to testify to exonerate Liz in the death of the senator in exchange for a deal."

Harold, the old dog, he would make sure he was duly rewarded for his tenacity. "I have to say Donald, I'm impressed. Tell me though, how does the Director feel about all of this? I can't believe he is going to sit back and let this happen."

"The Chairman kicked him out for insubordination, he won't be able to interfere and Aram is going to make sure all the information is encrypted. Only a select few will know what is happening."

Red chuckled, he knew he liked that woman. "Just make sure you keep Karakurt safe until the trial, if you need some help with that just let me know."

"There's still the question of Tom Connolly's death. I have given this a lot of thought and I think I might have an idea."

"By all means, Donald, I would love to hear your idea." Red realized that he actually meant that. Donald had really grown since that first meeting, and yes he was going to take credit for it.

"Liz will never be able to come back to work for the FBI, but what if we give her an immunity deal like the one you had?"

"Brilliant idea, Donald. I would also require a new deal, of course both deals will be written by myself and I will need some additional guarantees that the deals will not be reneged in the future." He couldn't wait to tell Lizzie. Would she want to work with him? He was already making new plans to keep her safe and by his side.

"I'll talk to the Chairman and see what can be worked out."

"Agent Navabi will know how to contact us." He hung up the phone and was smiling to himself as Lizzie walked out, wearing nothing but one of his dress shirts. He was not about to complain that she had rifled through his closet, she looked amazing.

"You look like the cat that got the cream." She walked over and sat on his lap, planting a lingering kiss on his mouth.

Red pulled back and was pleased with her mew of protest. "There will be plenty of time for that my dear. I have a surprise for you."

"What is it?" He seemed delighted with something, so it had to be good. She was getting excited, it had been so long since she had something to be happy about.

"That was Agent Ressler on the phone." He chuckled when her smile turned into a frown.

"What did he have to say? And when are you going to give me my surprise?" She turned to straddle his lap and kissed his neck, enjoying the noise of approval he made low in his chest.

"He and Harold have brought in Karakurt and convinced him to testify on your behalf." He expected her to jump for joy, but instead she had gone still in his arms.

After a moment she angled her head to be able to see him before she spoke. "I know that's a really great step in clearing my name, but I'm still on the hook for shooting Connolly. There is no way to magic that away."

He ran his hands soothingly up and down her arms, reassuring her that all was in hand. "Ressler is trying to get you and I an immunity deal, one that I will write myself to make sure there are no loopholes for your government to exploit."

"An immunity deal?" What would that mean for her and Ray? Would he be able to settle down and be with her, or would he have to leave her for months on end for business? She wasn't sure she could deal with that.

"Yes, sweetheart, and by the look on your face I can see you need some reassurance. I hope that we could stay together. I would like for you to become my partner and work by my side." He held his breath waiting for her response. He wanted so much for this to work out for them, but he wanted Lizzie to have a choice and he would move mountains to give her what she wanted, even if it killed him.

"Your partner? How would that work?" She would not be able to handle him meeting most of his female clients without her. Not that she was jealous by nature, but after having met a few of his 'associates' they were not to be trusted.

"Well, by partner, I meant as my wife." Her face lit up and it lit up all the dark places inside of him. If she only knew the power she held over him, that he was willing to do anything to keep her happy. "We would have spousal privilege and the ring I'll put on your finger should keep all the wolves at bay." He wanted nothing less than all of her and he would give all of himself in return. He waited nervously, wanting this so much he could taste it.

She wasted no time in answering him. "Yes, yes. I want to marry you." This wasn't something she had thought about it, but now that he had said something it sounded like the most perfect thing in the world. She kissed him as the tears fell unbidden from her watery eyes.

When the kiss ended, he wiped the tears from her eyes and cradled her beautiful face in his hands. "If you are feeling better, we have a couple of loose ends to tie up and then we can see about getting an impromptu appointment with the county clerk, if that's okay. We can always plan a huge wedding and invite anyone your heart desires if you would rather go that route."

"No, short and sweet is fine with me. Dembe and Mr. Kaplan can be our witnesses." She was so happy. She laughed to herself remembering the white picket fence fantasy she held onto for so long. This marriage would be anything but conventional, but she now knew she was far from ordinary and she had Ray to thank for taking the blinders off her eyes so she could see the truth.

He patted her thighs to get her to move off of him, but she was not having it. "Something on your mind?" He asked with a twinkle in his eyes.

She put her hands over his on her thighs. "Just you right now. Can we take a little bit of time for us before we take care of those loose ends?"

He pulled her closer, he could feel the warmth between her legs through his trousers and it made his head spin. "Anything for you, sweetheart."

Red called Mr. Kaplan to take care of all the details before they slipped into the bedroom. He trusted her to have everything ready when he and Liz arrived.

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The civil ceremony was over quickly. Red somehow already had rings on hand for them, something she would have to ask him about later. The documents were signed and recorded by the county clerk. Mr. Kaplan excused herself to see that preparations were in order for the next stop.

"Are you ready to tie up those loose ends, Mrs. Reddington?" He hooked his arm in invitation.

"I am, Mr. Reddington. As soon as this is done the sooner we can concentrate on us." She took his arm as they walked to Dembe and the waiting car.

Their first stop was to see what was found out regarding Elijah's betrayal. Red had tried to dissuade her from going in when he met with Brimley. He was still trying to protect her, but she had successfully argued that they were now a team and she wanted to learn every aspect of how he conducted business.

To her credit, her step only faltered once when they first walked in to find Brimley next to Elijah's bruised and mostly intact body. His greeting was muffled by his oxygen mask. "Took you long enough."

Red rolled his eyes, he was used to his go-to torture experts ways. "Well I'm here now. What did you find out?"

Brimley set his mask aside before responding. "Turns out he was working with that… "

Red cut him off, impatient to get the information and get Lizzie out of here. While she didn't show any outward signs, of which he was incredibly proud, he knew it would take some time before she would become numb to scenes such as these.

"I already know that much. I am curious to know what could Tom have possibly offered him that I could not?"

"Alliances with both the German's and the Russians. It seems you meddled in some arms deal and pissed off a group of militants. The Russians simply wanted Katerina's daughter. They are convinced she has information locked in her brain and they mean to extract it." Done with his speech, he placed his oxygen mask back on his face.

"Very good, thank you. Mr. Kaplan will be here shortly with a team to clean up." He took Lizzie's arm and led her out and back to the car.

Once they were seated and on their way to deal with Tom, Lizzie turned to Ray who was being uncharacteristically quiet. "I understand, Ray. Everything isn't so black and white. It's green."

He turned to her then with a smile. She was able to get past all the barriers like no one else and see the man beneath and he loved her for it. He reached out and brushed his fingers against her cheek. "You certainly have a way with words."

"I trust you to keep me safe and out of Russian hands, and I will walk through the fires of hell to protect you. Let's go deal with the troublemaker and we will worry about the rest when they come calling." She took his hand in hers and set them in her lap and turned to watch the city fly by.

Mr. Kaplan met them outside of the boat they had docked on pier 39. "Elijah has been dealt with per your request, and we are working to acquire his business interests. Mr. Keen is below deck waiting for you."

"Thank you, Kate, we've got it from here. I don't think we will be long and then your people can take over." He took Lizzie's hand and helped her onto the boat, climbing aboard after her.

Lizzie stood rooted to the spot once she was on board, not sure if she really wanted to hear what her ex had to say or if he would only try to make Red the bad guy in all of this as usual. He was always trying to make her believe that everything that had happened was Ray's fault, but in reality Ray would not have entered her life had it not been for Tom breaking the rules and integrating himself into her life in a most intimate way. He was only to watch and make sure she was safe, but when he betrayed Red and went to work for Berlin, he threw her into the the hornets nest so to speak.

"I want you to talk to him first, I doubt he will speak anything but lies if he knows I'm here."

"Of course. I'll get him talking, and you join us when you have heard enough." He gathered her into a fierce hug in an attempt to give her strength for what was to come. She nodded when they broke apart, signaling that she was ready.

Red descended into the cabin, only to find their captive standing over the body of his guard, reaching for the gun. Red reacted quickly, but not quick enough. Tom slammed into Red knocking them both to the ground.

As soon as she heard the commotion, Lizzie knew that Tom had somehow managed to free himself. She drew her weapon and headed cautiously down into the hold. Tom was on top of Ray slowly strangling him. "Get off of him or I'll kill you!"

Tom leaped off of Red and grabbed the gun he had tried to get earlier and rolled back up raising the gun to take a shot at Liz. Her FBI training kicked in and she shot him twice in the chest. She stood there with the gun still at the ready, frozen. She wasn't sure how she was supposed to feel about killing a man she once loved.

Mr. Kaplan rushed down the steps to find the situation under control. "I'll just give you a minute." She walked back up the stairs and out of view.

Red walked over and laid his hand over the gun and used slight pressure to get her to lower her arm. "It's okay. Everything is going to be okay."

She let him take the gun and slide it into the waistband of his trousers. When he turned her to him, she threw herself into his arms and hugged him to her. she was slowly coming to grips with what happened. There were no tears this time, she had already mourned Tom and the life they had shared. The Tom she knew was long gone. The man lying at their feet was a traitor and a liar who would have killed her had she not shot first.

"Let's go and let Kate get to work." He guided her to precede him up the stairs. Mr. Kaplan and her team were standing ready and at his nod, they went to work.

"What now?" She was ready to move on from all of this and begin something new with Ray.

"It will be a few days until the immunity deal is ready to be signed." He stretched out his arms to the open sky. "The world is our oyster, Lizzie."

"Let's go somewhere private and warm. I want to spend as much time with you as I can with little to no clothing." She laughed as his hands dropped and his pupils turned black with desire.

She grabbed his hand and he happily followed her to the waiting car. "Your wish is my command, since you made my heart your home."

 _fin_


End file.
